As the other one is getting kind of long.

The rules are--

Oh, it'll be easy enough to figure them out.

Gee, Someone Fragged The Comments Blacklist Again By Putting In A Glitch: What a surprise.

I begged fellow munuvians a few weeks ago to please not toy with the blacklist unless they knew what they were doing, but there are apparently some people here who think they gots the mad skillz when they, you know, don't.

So, SNAFU again.

Posted by: Ace at 02:34 PM | Comments (136)
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As Rich Lowry says, this is a shrewd but irresponsible maneuver, intended to make the anti-Israel liberals for once look pro-Israel. There is a pathology of Jew-hatred among Arabs that Maliki must play to. And, as Lowry notes, we're not terribly interested if Maliki contributes to the pacification of southern Lebanon so much as the pacification of Baghdad.

However, since you brought it up...

Doesn't this mean that Cynthia McKinny and Jim Moran should be forever barred from Congress?

Posted by: Ace at 02:26 PM | Comments (9)
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Interesting, And Underreported, But Not Really Exclusive: See update at end of post. It's all still true, just not as new as I first thought.

...

A reader drops me the following tip:

Howard Dean's brother, Jim Dean, currently is chairman of the Howard Dean-created "Democracy for America" (DFA) PAC.

Wikipedia on Howard Dean.

Democracy For America "about" page.

In March 2004, Howard Dean formed Democracy for America (DFA), a political action committee. Dean became DNC chairman in February
2005. Dean's brother, Jim Dean, now heads DFA, which "is committed to carrying on what his brother, Governor Howard Dean, started...."

Apparently the core mission of the Howard-Dean-created PAC now includes campaigning against a sitting Democratic Senator.

Is that, you know, normal for a DNC-chairman-created organization to do?

Has the DNC declared (almost) open warfare on Lieberman?

Well, read this email sent out to those on the DFA mailing list and judge for yourself.

Note that the DNC is, I suppose, either neutral or supposedly in favor of Lieberman. However, Jim Dean compares Lamont's candidacy to his brother's in this letter, and says, basically, "let's not let what happened to my brother Howard Dean happen to Ned Lamont."

Now, if Howard Dean is not supporting Lamont, shouldn't he be calling upon the DFA to stop invoking his name in its support of Lamont? He can't legally enforce that, of course, but politicians are forever "calling" for campaigns to stop certain tactics. Will Howard Dean do so? Or is quite willing to lend his name to the campaign to defeat Lieberman?

From: "Jim Dean, Democracy for America"



To: [redacted]

Subject: 14 days to put Lamont over the top

Date: Tue, 25 Jul 2006 19:04:20 +0000

Dear ...........

Watch Ned's Message to DFA

Three months ago, Joe Lieberman led Ned Lamont in the polls by more
than forty points. But you took a chance on Ned and thousands of DFA
members around the country pitched in to help his insurgent campaign.
The result? Two new polls show that Ned Lamont has surged into a
narrow lead over Lieberman.

Now we have the chance to put Ned Lamont over the top. Ned has
recorded an exclusive video for DFA members to give you an update on
the final 14 days. Click here to watch the video and find out how you
can get involved:

http://www.democracyforamerica.com/nedlamont

The story of an insurgent, people-powered candidate moving to the top
of the polls against the Democratic establishment is not new. My
brother, Howard, was in a similar position three and a half years ago
in the 2004 presidential primary. I don't need to remind you about
what happened when the Beltway Democrats placed a giant target on his
back and took aim. Let's make sure that history doesn't repeat itself
with Ned Lamont.

We have a plan to fight back and win. Over the next few weeks, we'll
be working closely with DFA members in Connecticut towards a Lamont
victory on August 8. DFA members will be pounding the pavement and
knocking on doors in a massive effort to get out the vote. Click here
to watch Ned's video and find out how you can get involved:

http://www.democracyforamerica.com/nedlamont

It's going to be close -- now let's close the deal. Thank you again
for everything.

Sincerely,

Jim Dean
Chair

P.S. After you watch the video from Ned, don't forget to sign-up for
tonight's DFA Night School workshop about breaking into the
Mainstream Media:

http://www.democracyforamerica.com/nightschool

Share this email:
Tell-a-friend!

If you received this message from a friend, you can sign up for
Democracy for America.

...

Paid for by Democracy for America, www.DemocracyforAmerica.com and
authorized by Ned Lamont for Senate. Contributions to Democracy for
America are not deductible for federal income tax purposes.

This comes from someone in a position to receive this email, and all other information seems easily confirmed by Wikipedia and the DFA website itself, so there's hardly any need for this silly two-source business.

Now, it should be noted that Howard Dean created the DFA, but is no longer the chairman.

But his brother is.

And yes, his brother could have sharp disagreements with Howard Dean.

And yet... it does seem as if the DNC chair could pressure his brother to stop supporting the defeat of a sitting Democratic Senator if he so chose.

But he apparently does not.

Does Howard Dean have an, I don't know, what shall I call this... a sock-puppet carrying out his bidding?

Gee, I had a tip sent to me by someone I kinda know. I did almost zero work on bringing this to you, my efforts limited to a two-minute confirming phone call and some extremely light rewriting of the original tip.

It was just dropped in my lap, and I had nothing at all to do with it, and yet I publish it under my byline.

Why, I almost feel like a legitimate, paid MSM reporter!

The Democratic National Committee

May we wash your feet with ungents and rare oils now, Prophet Kos?

Update: My tipster points to this word in the letter:

thousands of DFA members around the country pitched in to help his insurgent campaign

A lot of words might have been used rather than "insurgent." Upstart, grassroots, etc. And yet they chose "insurgent."

I guess "insurgent" polls well with liberal focus groups.

Note it was my reader who thought it would be a good idea for me to make "sock-puppet" allusion. So don't blame me for that. This does not count as a "FoxFire" post.

Addendum: Uncle Jefe also noticed that "insurgent" word choice.

And JackStraw turns this phrase:

I said a couple years back when Dean was elected head of the DNC that he would lead them from the wilderness into oblivion. I said it in the bathroom and nobody heard it but still, I said it.

From the wilderness into oblivion. Nice.

A Question... It's a very big deal when a party actually fights against a sitting senator and supports an "insurgent" challenger. It is less of a big deal when a PAC created by the party head, and run by his brother, does so, and yet -- still not a small deal.

MSM reporters, being on, I'm sure, most mailing lists for their jobs, and also being on liberal mailing jobs so they know how to vote and slant their stories, must have been aware of this.

Where was the story?

If it has been mentioned before in the MSM, I apologize for the suggestion. I do.

However, based on my (admittedly sketchy, at this point) information, it hasn't been.

They must have know this before.

Why no wire reports? Why no mention?

Are they hesitant to publish because the spectacle of an interncine party blood-fight may harm the party they support?

Questions, questions.

To recap:

This story? Not a huge deal.

This story? Still, something of a "deal."

This story? At the least, worth reporting, even if not prominently.

This story? Broken by a blog.

Why?

Retraction: The fact that the DFA was aligned with Lamong has, in fact, been noticed by the MSM, lightly, thus making my outraged posture faintly ridiculous.

However, no one seems to notice Jim Dean comparing Lamont to Democrat hero Howard Dean, and Howard Dean doesn't seem to be objecting to linking his name to the campaign for Lamont, nor that Howard Dean's brother is actively soliciting money for Lamont.

Only "Exclusive" In A Few Details: As the DFA's support of Lamont has been previously reported, and the only real news here is Jim Dean comparing Lamont to DNC head Howard Dean, and actively soliciting money on his behalf, I have dropped claims of "exclusivity."

It's not exclusive so much as "underreported" and "with a bit of new information that makes it more newsworthy."

I've left in my "questions for the media" for two reasons:

1, I still think this is an interesting story, and I still wonder why the MSM doesn't cover it prominently. It was the first time I'd heard of it. The MSM might have noted the basics of it, but they didn't exactly wide-cast it.

2, My questions, even though still sort of valid in a way, are also kind of embarrassing, and I should keep this stuff up there so as not to "hide the evidence" of my overselling a story.

I've delted references to exclusivity not to hide the evidence (I'm saying I made that claim, after all) but because I didn't want to leave that up and continue misleading people until a late-in-the-post correction.

Just a cautionary tale for myself: Just cuz'n you ain't heard of it, don't mean it ain't been heard of before.

And yet... given the reaction by commenters, it would seem that this story, while basically noted, sure has not gotten much play out there in the MSM.

Posted by: Ace at 12:10 PM | Comments (167)
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That's a knife? No, this is a knife!

She actually said that.

Alas, she was senile, and was actually only holding a tube of Freedhem Hemmhroid Cream (Freedom from Hemmhroids? Freedhem Hemmhroid Cream) and was subsequently butchered, but still, the thought was there.

Posted by: Ace at 11:30 AM | Comments (20)
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As Letterman says after shows, "Well, at least it stuck to the tape."

I love how we learned the following:

1) Deb Frisch: Still insane, still a "victim."

2) Glenn Greenwald's Magic Boyfriend: Loves him more than anyone has ever loved anyone else in the world.

3) Jason Leopold: Lying douchebag.

and worst of all:

4) Bill from INDC has a book coming out.

It's been nice knowing you. It really has. But I just tied a not-too-shabby noose, if I do say so myself, over a beam in my basement rumpus room, and I'll be checking out now.

Enjoy your lives. If possible, I will attempt to contact you from "The Other Side." I hope it's not all clouds and flowers and gay shit like that.

Goodbye. I'll miss you.

Posted by: Ace at 11:20 AM | Comments (80)
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Raj from the Apprentice, and from a Congressional race, can't make it. Ah, well.

But we do have something. Patterico will take time from his lunch hour to call in, as will Seixon, the blogger exposing/getting threats from Jason Leopold of TruthOut. He's doing us a favor, too, as he's got friends in town he's saying goodbye to. He's written a shorter, more introductory post about his dealings with Leopold here, which is a pithy tale of weapons-grade crazy.

Call in at 866-884-TALK. And listen in on Rightalk.

Now, here's the weird thing. Jeff and Patterico and I have all sort of been involved with stories lately. So it's this weird thing that maybe we'd make better guests than hosts. And yet we're hosts. So if you have a question, do call in and ask it; maybe the inversion would work better.

I don't know yet if Jeff is comfortable with questions about that woman, so I don't know yet if that's a fair question. When I find out, I'll let ya know.

Anyone Have Goldstein's Number? I can't get in touch with my cohost through email. If you've got it, can you shoot it to me via email?

Thanks.

Professional, prepared, and practiced, as usual.

Posted by: Ace at 08:59 AM | Comments (26)
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Sure, it's got William Shatner -- or as I call him, "O Captain, My Captain" -- but the show is a preachy, screechy liberal fantasia.

The blog that has TWO f'n' cool names -- "Fort Awesome," and "Dirty Centaurs" -- rips into this hackneyed liberal-lawyer-saves-the-world dream-quest.

Alan is having a quiet moment the night before he's to make his closing argument, and gets confronted by Denny. Denny and Alan are great friends (their continuing and unlikely friendship is in fact the warm, beating, and hilarious heart of the show), despite the fact that Alan is a strident liberal and the increasingly-demented Denny is a lifelong Republican. Denny gets angry at Alan for defending the girl who won't pay her taxes:

Denny: "Do you have any idea what would happen if all the little people stopped paying their taxes?"

Alan: "The rich people would have to start paying theirs?"

Denny (without a trace of irony): "EXACTLY!"

Somehow, a Boston law firm manages every week to take on a case cutting at the heart of the Bush Administration. NSA wiretapping, Abu Ghraib, people suing over dead soldiers who'd had their tours "fraudulently" extended by the military in a "backdoor draft"... who knew so much big-shakes constitutional law was being made in Boston?

Alan Shore is the worst lawyer in the world. Every week he delivers a preening, alienating political message to the jury often having very little at all to do with the actual case. But, you know, he enjoys saying it.

And that's the important thing.

Posted by: Ace at 08:41 AM | Comments (21)
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Hee, hee, hee.

"We have a special connection... you seem to have a really nice butt... he's irresistable."

"Take your hands off his ass, you perverted faggot!"

Sometimes snarky British lefties go after the right targets.

Thanks to Brett.

Update: George Michaels Michael writes me to say, "See? That is exactly what happened to me! Except, you know, I did some stuff to him, too."

Ohhh... I should say that inappropriately touching someone in a wholly unwanted sexual way is over the line, even as a gag, but somehow I just can't manage a high level of outrage about it here.

When you violate the sanctity and solemnity of a military funeral to accuse a dead hero's family of "Faggot-loving," you've kind of given up any right to object to being touched in a no-no special place.

Posted by: Ace at 08:06 AM | Comments (29)
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Sold to the Mexican navy in 1968, then decommissioned even by Mexico, the John Rogers will return to American hands, as a museum ship.

Kinda cool. It's WWII vintage. Still floats. And it's got 60 years of Betty Paige pin-ups stashed all over the place.

It's part of a project to repurchase/refit American ships for good uses, such as, in many cases, ships being converted to rescue/hospital ships to aid in disaster relief.

Correction: I originally wrote the John Rogers would be part of the "Salvation Navy." That's not right. Though this project acquires old ships for that purpose, the John Rogers will not be serving in that capacity.

Thanks to Bob at Confederate Yankee for straightening out my loose shit.

Posted by: Ace at 07:57 AM | Comments (11)
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More with the chickenhawk crap:

Matthews sputters that if the "neoconservatives" had "been in a schoolyard fight in high school like they should have been, we wouldn't be seeing the world we're getting from them today."

Does anyone buy that tubby, chubby Chris Matthews was Danny F'n' Zucco in the playground? Or was he the kid blowing snot bubbles out of his nose crying after someone stole his Jamie Summers: Bionic Woman lunchbox?

Okay, wanna talk chickenhawk, tough-guy? You joined the Peace Corps to avoid Vietnam. This was a legal dodge, yet you still avoided serving. You endlessly mention your days as a cop in Philadelphia to establish your street-tough cred, but something tells me that serving briefly as a policeman was a way to finish up your Peace Corps commitment stateside. And as you never mention what neighborhoods in Philadelphia you were patrolling, something tells me you were protecting the city from gangs of roving, predatious rich white people in the tony Rittenhouse Square area.

Now-- Chickenhaw Matthews, you say we should have "finished the fight" in Afghanistan. But that means that you support fighting a war when you yourself avoided the chance to fight in Vietnam, and, in fact, support sending over young boys to die in Afghanistan when you are not willing to do any more fighting than you can manage from your cushy DC offices.

Hey-- you support the war in Afghanistan, so you say. So join the fight, Big Stuff. Pick up a rifle and join our boys. Why don't you join the team in time for the Big Win, soldier?

If it is your contention that you cannot support a war without fighting yourself -- then, by all means, get off your overpadded, overexposed Irish ass and sign up for combat duty in Kabul.

Correction: I'm told he walked his policeman's beat as part of the Capitol Hill force in DC.

Fine. Substitute "Capitol Hill" for "Philadelphia" and "Georgetown" for "Rittenhouse Square."

I can just imagine him being "first through the door" busting a dangerous Bojoulais Nouveau sipping circle.

STEVE HENDRICKSON: Hi, I'm Steve Hendrickson, visiting with my family -- my wife Mavis, my boys Todd and Chad -- from DeMoines, Iowa. I was wondering if you could point out the Smithsonian Air and Space Wing? The boys really want to see the Apollo capsule.

CHRIS "COBRA" MATTHEWS: You're the disease... and I'm the cure.

STEVE HENDRICKSON: I... think we may be miscommunicating here... I just want to know where I can see the Wright Brothers' airplane.

CHRIS "COBRA" MATTHEWS: You know when I said I'd kill you last, Steve Hendrickson of DeMoines, Iowa? I lied.

STEVE HENDRICKSON: Okaaayyy! We'll, uhh, be moving along, officer. Chad, Todd-- stay away from the scary fat man. He looks like a "biter."

CHRIS "COBRA" MATTHEWS: Oh, I'm nothin' but a gun and a badge? Here, let me put down my gun and badge. Now I'm just like you. Let's finish this.

TODD HENDRICKSON: I'm scared, Daddy. He looks like he wants to sit on my head.

STEVE HENDRICKSON: Just keep moving, Todd. Crab-walk. Keep your face towards him but move away as quickly as possible.

Posted by: Ace at 06:50 AM | Comments (76)
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